PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ahead of the full 2026-27 NBA schedule release Thursday, we now know a few of the marquee games for the Sixers this season.
LeBron James returns to Los Angeles on Christmas Day for Sixers-Lakers. Home opener against the Cavs. pic.twitter.com/EnV6cMui1r
The Sixers begin the season at MSG against the defending champion New York Knicks. They’ll also take on two of LeBron James’ former teams — the home opener is against the Cleveland Cavaliers while the Sixers will be in Los Angeles for Christmas in a primetime matchup with the Lakers.
It’s a little surprising we didn’t see a matchup with the Boston Celtics, especially when Jaylen Brown returns to TD Garden for the first time as a Sixer. That almost felt like a lock for Christmas Day. Alas, we’ll have to wait to find out when Brown gets his first crack at a revenge game.
Any thoughts on these games or any other Sixers questions? Drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer as many as possible!
After a tough finish to the regular season, in which the Detroit Red Wings went 9-15-5 over their final 29 games and posted the third-worst offense in the league during that stretch, the team is looking to make major changes heading into season 101 for the franchise.
With certain pieces failing to generate offense and injuries slowing momentum down the stretch, the Red Wings are returning with a distinctly different look, and it'll be a very different-looking offense on opening night.
For starters, contract years are expected to play a major role for a pair of key veterans. Defenceman Justin Faulk and centre Andrew Copp will both be looking to bring their best as they play for new deals.
Faulk enters the season with a full off-season under his belt to get accustomed to life in Detroit after arriving via trade at last season's deadline, while Copp, who battled injuries a year ago that derailed what was shaping up to be a career campaign, will look to have his best season yet in the Winged Wheel and potentially reach new heights, including a possible first 50-point season.
The newcomers are also expected to bring a very different look to Detroit's attack. Viktor Arvidsson signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings on July 1 after posting 54 points on 25 goals and 29 assists in 69 games with the Boston Bruins last season, a bounce-back effort after being limited to 27 points in 67 games with the Edmonton Oilers the year before.
Arvidsson is projected to step into Detroit's second line alongside Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp, effectively taking over the spot vacated by Patrick Kane, who returned to the Chicago Blackhawks this past month.
For added grit and impact in the bottom six, Detroit also acquired Keegan Kolesar in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1. The 29-year-old provides stability in the bottom six and has shown some scoring touch, having recorded 12 goals for Vegas in 2024-25.
Kolesar spent his entire seven-season NHL career in Vegas, helping the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and reach the Stanley Cup Final again last season. He racked up 270 hits last season, seventh-most in the NHL, and has piled up 1,416 hits since the start of 2020-21, fourth-most in the league over that span.
He may not offer the same offensive punch as some of Detroit's other additions, but his physical, hard-forechecking edge gives the Red Wings exactly the kind of bottom-six impact they were missing.
Rounding out the offensive makeover, Detroit is also banking on continued development from its young forwards, with Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard expected to push for full-time roles on the roster.
Danielson, the former ninth overall pick back in the 2023 NHL Draft, posted seven points in 28 games as a rookie before a season-ending lower-body injury in February, and will look for a steadier role in his second full crack at the NHL. Brandsegg-Nygard, the 15th overall pick in 2024, made his NHL debut last season with one assist in 14 games and will look to build on that this year.
Taken together, it amounts to a substantially retooled offense for a team desperate to snap the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. Detroit's offense averaged just 2.91 goals per game last season, 22nd in the league, and with all the changes, the Red Wings are hoping this new-look attack can be the difference-maker in finally getting Hockeytown back into the postseason.
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LOS ANGELES — Although Tarik Skubal didn’t meet his own high standards for execution in his first home start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was proud that he fought to keep his team in a game it eventually managed to win after he left.
Skubal still intends to be much better than he was while allowing three runs on four hits over five innings in the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
“I thought I competed well and gave our team a chance to win, and our offense picked me up big-time, defense picked me up big-time, and the bullpen was outstanding tonight,” Skubal said. “So all in all, a good team win, especially when I don’t feel like I performed up to my standard.”
Skubal left trailing 3-2 in the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner’s decent, if unspectacular, first start in the home whites. His fastball command decidedly was lacking, and he was unable to get ahead early in most counts during an outing in which he managed just one 1-2-3 inning. The fireworks came instead from the Dodgers’ slumbering offense, which awoke with Max Muncy’s three-run double and Freddie Freeman’s RBI single after Skubal departed.
Although he struck out six, Skubal didn’t live up to manager Dave Roberts’ pregame prediction of “an electric night” for the vaunted left-hander and his slumping club, which had lost eight of nine heading into this homestand.
“I thought he fought well,” Roberts said. “Tarik didn’t have his best stuff, but he didn’t relent. He kept going, and he gave us what he had for tonight."
Even after everything he accomplished while becoming one of the majors’ top starters with the Tigers, Skubal particularly was amped up for this debut in front of 51,799 fans eager to cheer their team’s biggest trade-deadline addition in its bid to win three straight World Series titles. When Skubal was announced in the starting lineup for the first time, Dodgers fans responded with loud cheers and a serenade of “Skuuuuuu!”
“This one was special to me, so the nerves run a little bit higher,” Skubal said. “But it just means you care, so I think that’s all positive stuff. I was excited to go out there and pitch in front of the Dodger fans. It was a ton of fun to play the game today.”
Skubal threw 95 pitches against the Royals, and Jac Caglianone tagged two of them for a two-run homer and an RBI single. Skubal also issued two walks and hit a batter with a pitch in just his second career appearance at Dodger Stadium, taking the mound nine days after the defending champions acquired him from Detroit in the biggest trade of the deadline.
Los Angeles gave up three promising prospects for what might be a short-term rental of the 29-year-old Skubal, who likely will reap the benefits of free agency this winter.
Skubal made his Dodgers debut at Wrigley Field, pitching six innings of two-run, four-hit ball with six strikeouts in his new team’s 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The back-to-back champions had the farm talent and the impetus to go out and get the AL’s best pitcher over the past two seasons — and Skubal’s reception at Chavez Ravine showed their fans still don’t take their deep-pocketed team’s winning mentality for granted.
But after that warm pregame reception, Skubal yielded two soft singles and a run to Kansas City’s first three batters, with Bobby Witt Jr. stealing second and scoring on Caglianone’s dribbler up the middle.
Nick Loftin then doubled in the third before Caglianone hit his 21st homer of the season to right, smashing a hanging slider for a 410-foot shot that induced grumbles from the stands.
Skubal retired six straight Royals after Caglianone’s shot, but he got into trouble again in the fifth, hitting Loftin with a pitch and walking Witt with two outs. Skubal dug in and struck out Caglianone to end the inning, getting him with his signature changeup on his final pitch.
“Tarik Skubal — it’s nice to have him on our mound,” said a grinning Freeman, who drove in Shohei Ohtani with the go-ahead run. “I’m sure he wants to go deeper than five innings, but I like that every five, six days that he’s going to be on the mound for us.”
Los Angeles probably hoped for a more dominant beginning to Skubal’s tenure, but it cares most about the games he’ll pitch in October, when the champs expect to make their 14th consecutive playoff appearance.
Roberts uncommonly is impressed by Skubal after just more than a week together.
“This guy, he’s as different as anyone I’ve ever been around in this short period of time,” Roberts said. “He’s special in every way. ... He’s just built differently. The mind, the body, the focus, the humility, the willingness to serve, to help. He puts himself out there. He’s different than any player I’ve ever been around, really. Again, it’s a small sample, but I’ve dug in on him. I’ve got a pretty good gut. This guy is something like I’ve never seen.”
BINGHAMTON, NY - AUGUST 08: Mitch Voit #22 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies bats during the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Nate Stickney/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
This week was a hard week to crown a hitter of the week. It wasn’t that there were no players who really stood out, as is the case occasionally, but rather, there were too many impressive performances. Mitch Voit hit .611/.682/.778 with 3 doubles, 3 stolen bases, and drew 4 walks to 3 strikeouts, all good for a 295 wRC+. Vidal Brujan hit .500/.650/.786 with 4 doubles, 2 stolen bases, and drew 5 walks without striking out once in the week, good for a 263 wRC+. Billy Amick hit .294/.400/1.000 with 4 home runs, a stolen base, and drew 3 walks to 9 strikeouts, good for a 240 wRC+. Nick Lorusso hit .389/.450/.889 with 3 home runs and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 228 wRC+. Julio Zayas hit .381/.458/.857 with a double, 3 home runs, and drew 3 walks to 2 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+. Royner Bravo hit .524/.583/.762 with a doubles, 2 triples, and a stolen base, with 3 walks to 3 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+ as well. Frank Moreno hit .467/.556/.667 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 1 strikeout, good for a 200 wRC+. Yonatan Henriquez hit .389/.476/.667 with 2 doubles, a home run, 2 stolen bases, and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 196 wRC+. Elian Pena hit .400/.455/.550 with 3 doubles, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 158 wrC+. Ronny Mauricio hit .300/.348/.600 with 3 doubles, a home run, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 128 wRC+.
In total, among hitters who had at least 12 at-bats this past week, eleven players had an OPS over 1.000. In the end, what Mitch Voit did, with his combination of logging double-digit hits, hitting for power while doing so, stealing bases, and working counts, gave him the edge over the many other deserving hitter of the week candidates.
Normally, I’d write some kind of observation or something like that about the player, something that they changed or something that they’re doing, but in this case, Voit’s crazy numbers actually make it hard for me to say anything about his week. Besides for the fact that the odds of Voit hitting .550/.633/.850 over the next two months are extremely low, the way that he has hit .550/.633/.850 has unsustainable, with extreme outlier metrics, and as such, it’s hard to say anything about what he’s been doing to spark this streak.
Noah Hall
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K (Double-A)
Noah Hall was promoted to Double-A Binghamton at the end of July and has made two starts there so far this season. In his first, against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, he got smacked around a bit, giving up 4 runs in 5.0 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 6. In his last start, the right-hander threw six scoreless innings and matched a career-high ten strikeouts, posting a season-high 75 GameScore for the start.
In the first, Hall struck out centerfielder GJ Hill and third baseman Andy Perez. Hill went down swinging on a 92 MPH fastball middle-away and Perez was called out on a curveball middle-away. In the second, he struck out DH Mike Antico and catcher Cole Messina. Antico struck out swinging on an elevated fastball, while Messina was called out on strikes on a fastball in the same location. In the third, he struck out right fielder Zach Kokoska swinging on a changeup down below the zone. In the fifth, he struck out first baseman Jack O’Dowd, Mike Antico a second time, and left fielder Skyler Messinger. O’Down went down swinging on a changeup down and away outside of the zone, Antico went down swinging on a curveball down under the zone that Kevin Parada blocked and threw to first for the put out, and Messinger struck out swinging on a fastball middle-away. In the sixth, he struck out shortstop Dylan Jorge and second baseman Roc Riggio, both infielders going down swinging in low-90 fastballs middle-in.
ATLANTA — After earning his first career save, New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga wanted the ball as a keepsake.
Whoops!
Rookie teammate Carson Benge already had tossed it into the Atlanta crowd.
Recently shifted to a short-relief role in his fourth major league season, Senga closed out New York’s 8-5 victory over the Braves with a scoreless ninth inning. Mauricio Dubón flied out to Benge in right field for the final out, and he turned toward the stands looking to send a fan home with a souvenir.
Senga, well aware of his achievement, held out his arms in disbelief with his mouth agape while watching the whole thing transpire. In a funny scene, he raised both hands trying to grab Benge’s attention as Senga and Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez both called for the baseball in vain.
A sheepish Benge, when he realized what happened, put both hands on his head — and Senga doubled over in laughter.
After the game, Senga was asked if Benge ever managed to retrieve the ball for him.
“I think Bengie is trying to tell me I should have just punched him out,” a smiling Senga said through an interpreter.
Senga got the save opportunity in the ninth because the Mets placed closer Devin Williams on the 15-day injured list earlier in the day. Interim manager Andy Green was non-committal before the game about who would be his closer, but with New York leading 8-5 he called on Senga. The right-hander is 0-8 with an 8.12 ERA in eight starts and eight relief appearances this season.
Senga struck out Matt Olson and Michael Harris II to open the ninth, then issued a walk to Ozzie Albies before retiring Dubón.
Senga has not allowed a run in his last three appearances out of the bullpen. He came over from Japan and signed a five-year, $75 million contract to be a starter for the Mets before the 2023 season. He went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts that year, making the NL All-Star team and finishing runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in Cy Young Award balloting.
But he’s largely struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness since, other than a strong stretch early in the 2025 season.
The last-place Mets are 6-1 on a nine-game trip following a significant selloff ahead of the trade deadline that depleted their bullpen.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Adael Amador #1 of the Colorado Rockies at bat during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country.
Earlier this season, right after the promotion of Cole Carrigg, we asked you who you thought the Rockies would call up next. At that time, we asked you to choose between Zac Veen (No. 9 Pre-Season PuRP), Charlie Condon (No. 1 Pre-Season PuRP), Sean Sullivan (No. 8 Pre-Season PuRP) and “other.”
This time around, we’re giving you a few of the same options and a few new ones. The only one who hasn’t made his MLB debut yet is Condon, but Adael Amador hasn’t seen any MLB action in 2026.
That said, who do you think the Rockies will call up next as we finish up the 2026 season?
Arizona (64-56) obliterated Colorado (46-73) in Monday's series opener, 9-0. The win was spearheaded by Nolan Arenado's grand slam in the first inning. The Diamondbacks remain tied with the Phillies for the final spot in the NL Wild Card.
The Diamondbacks are attempting to heat up with two straight wins and three in the past four. Arizona is now 6-2 versus Colorado this season and 4-1 at home after yesterday's victory. The Diamondbacks have the fifth-most runs scored (50) in August (10 games) to go along with the ninth-most home runs (11), a league-leading five triples, and top 10 ranks in SLG, OPS, and OBP.
Colorado has lost two straight games and six of the past seven contests. The Rockies are hot on offense (outside of yesterday), but the pitching has been poor. Colorado is leading the MLB in batting average (.295), the seventh-most home runs (12), and fifth-most runs scored (50) over 10 games. The pitching ranks 28th in ERA (5.74), 25th in WHIP (1.48), and 28th in OBA (.278).
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rockies at Diamondbacks
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Chase Field
City: Phoenix, AZ
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Hunter Goodman is hitting .276 in August (8/29) with nine strikeouts and one walk
Jake McCarthy is hitting .450 in August (18/40) with three home runs
Corbin Carroll is hitting .179 in August (7/39) with 10 strikeouts and four walks
Ketel Marte is hitting .156 in August (5/32)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Diamondbacks
Colorado is 62-57 ATS, ranking 10th-best
Arizona is 66-54 ATS, ranking fourth-best
Colorado is 59-57-3 to the Under
Arizona is 64-50-6 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
Colorado is 31-26 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-best
Arizona is 34-25 ATS at home, ranking third-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Rockies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Rockies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.5
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers warm up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers will be featured front and center on the Christmas Day schedule against a new opponent, but a familiar face.
LeBron James’ return to Los Angeles will highlight the special day of games as Los Angeles will host the 76ers in the middle of the five-game slate. The league announced the games for Christmas and the opening week on Tuesday morning.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.
Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN
This will be the 28th consecutive season the purple and gold feature on the Christmas schedule. However, it will be just the second time they have faced the Sixers on Christmas. However, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
There will be few games more notable or marquee for the Lakers this season than LeBron’s return to LA. While there were other games based on competition or rivalries that the league could have slotted the Lakers into, no game will have more narratives or storylines around it.
Aside from the LeBron aspect of this, it’ll also be a meeting between, presumably, two of the best teams in the league. The Lakers will be led by Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves still while the Sixers were arguably the biggest winners of the offseason by stealing Jaylen Brown from the Celtics.
Outside of that contest, an NBA Finals rematch will start the day as the Knicks host the Spurs. The Celtics will host the Heat in the precursor to the Lakers-Sixers. The Thunder will face the Wolves with LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards before the nightcap of the Warriors and Nuggets.
Left off Opening Night slate
For the first time since the beginning of the LeBron James era, the Lakers will not play on Opening Night. Between the Knicks getting their rings and a rematch of the Thunder and Spurs, the purple and gold were left off the slate on the league’s first night of games.
Instead, LA will open against the Warriors at home a day later.
The first four days of the 2026-27 NBA regular season will feature nine national games across NBC/Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video.
In recent years, the league pulled the Lakers-Warriors card whenever they needed a ratings bump. But the LeBron-Steph Curry rivalry isn’t there anymore, so we’ll see how much weight a Luka-led showdown carries.
Fans won’t have to wait long, though, to see the new-look Lakers in official action in what will be the exciting first step into a new era of LA basketball.
Owner John Sherman gave an interview with Josh Vernier about what it will take to make the Kansas City Royals competitive by 2027, and Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco spend the bulk of this episode working through what he actually said. An entirely new bullpen is one of the clearest needs, and Sherman’s acknowledgment of the work ahead sets the tone for a broader roster evaluation that follows, including where potential investment in starting pitching should be prioritized.
Sherman’s framing of the organization as a results-based business runs through the conversation, and Jacob and Jeremy weigh his comments against real skepticism about the team’s current spending and management strategy. Sherman deserves credit for candor, but candor alone does not close the gaps that have defined this roster all season.
On the field, Jac Caglianone’s home run distance is leading all of MLB right now, and it powered the Royals on win in the Chicago Cubs series that also saw Bobby Witt Jr. make his return from injury. Daniel Lynch IV’s return to the rotation gets a more critical look, with the lack of swing and miss in his outing raising familiar questions about whether he fits into the team’s long-term pitching plans.
The prospect pipeline closes the episode on an encouraging note. Zion Rose is showing promise in his early games, Angeibel Gomez is lighting up the DSL, and Jacob Berry has performed well since coming over in a trade. Jacob and Jeremy connect these developments to the team’s improving prospect rankings and what it could mean for future call-ups.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 10: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Truist Park on August 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves lost to the New York Mets on Monday night. That’s now seven losses to the Mets this season, which means that Atlanta has officially dropped the season series to New York for the first time since 2017. It’s kind of wild that this was the year for that streak to end but baseball’s a strange sport and the Mets have still played the Braves pretty tough over the course of that time so this was bound to happen at some point.
Anyways, Atlanta’s fate was nearly sealed in the first inning alone when the Mets tagged Bryce Elder for five runs in that one inning. With that being said, it was certainly strange how they ended up getting to those five runs. The game got off to a weird start in the first place when Elder gave up what was initially ruled a ground rule double out to right field after Ronald Acuña Jr. declared a ball that ended up under the wall as unplayable.
Following a replay challenge review, the umpires eventually determined that the ball had not been lodged below the wall — it had stopped but it wasn’t stuck. “The ruling was the ball was not lodged but the fact that the umpire more-or-less finished the play with a ruling of two bases meant that they kept the runner at second instead of third,” explained Walt Weiss when he was asked about it after the game.
“You can make a case that the ground rule needs to be changed, there,” continued Weiss when he was asked about the ground rule. “Ronald from his vantage point, it’s almost like the ball disappears. He’s up above it and the ball is kind of underneath the wall, so it’s a tough play.”
To Bryce Elder’s credit, he took full responsibility in the post-game press conference and didn’t make any excuses for what happened out there during his rough outing. It started to get very rough once a play that sure looked like it could’ve been a strike-em-out, throw-em out moment that instead ended up turning into a walk. Bryce Elder appeared to have signaled for a challenge but the home plate umpire Cory Blaser didn’t grant it and so the inning continued on.
If you look closely at the clip above, you can see Elder tap his head and point at Sean Murphy as if to say that he should tap his head as well. Instead, no tapping was acknowledged, the Mets kept their rally going and then Brett Baty blew the game open with a grand slam that put the Mets firmly in control.
Again, Elder held himself accountable for the whole ordeal. “If I don’t put one on a tee there for Brett then it’s a whole different conversation,” admitted Elder. “We can look at the challenge and look at this and look at that but at the end of the day, I’ve got to make a better pitch to Baty there and then we don’t have to have that conversation.”
It was also unfortunate to see all that damage being done with two outs. In fact, all seven of the runs that Elder gave up on Monday night happened while two outs were on the board. Elder current has a 6.10 ERA with two outs on the board so far this season as opposing batters are hitting .280/.356/.470 with a wOBA of .361 in that situation. For comparison’s sake, the league average is a 4.86 ERA with a slash line of .234/.317/.384 with a .310 wOBA. All of those numbers are below average for Elder and he’s aware of that and also how it’s been a bit of a pattern in his career.
“For my whole career, it’s one of those things where when I’m good, I’m good with two outs. When I’m bad, I’m bad with two outs. It’s pretty black-and-white as far as whether I need to make better or do a different pitch but whatever it may be, I’m not sure,” explained Elder when I asked him about his issues with two outs. “Yeah, definitely this year when I’ve struggled and things go south it’s with two outs. Being able to make that pitch to get out of an inning is important so hopefully I will be better at it moving forward.”
It was certainly a rough night for Elder and it’s certainly been one of those seasons that we’re becoming used to now where he has peaks that see him peering over all of baseball and valleys that make you wonder just what on Earth is going on with him. Monday was probably the weirdest night of the season yet for Elder and it was certainly frustrating to watch — much less to actually experience it like he and the rest of the Braves did.
Hopefully this’ll be a blip and that Elder will continue to bounce back moving forward since it’s apparent that the Braves are going to need him in some big moments both down the stretch and possibly in October as well. We’ll see what happens.
With Skubal in the final year of his contract and the Tigers stumbling into the final third of their schedule, GM Scott Harris decided it was time to cut his losses and look to the future. Not only did he trade his ace, Skubal, he also sent No. 2 starter Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres just before the deadline.
But then a funny thing happened.
The Tigers didn't sink like a stone in the standings. Instead, they kept moving up.
Tigers pick their path
The decision to deal Skubal may have come after the Tigers dropped two of three at home to the Baltimore Orioles, capped by blowing a seven-run lead in what would be Skubal's final start to fall to 51-58 with two months to play.
Setting off for a nine-game road trip to Sacramento, Seattle and San Francisco, things looked pretty bleak.
When the Skubal trade was announced on Aug. 2, the Tigers were just completing a three-game sweep of the A's.
They then took two of three against both the Giants and Mariners and are now just two games under .500.
How have they managed to stay afloat?
The schedule has helped. The A's have the second-worst record in the AL, while the Giants have the second-worst mark in the NL.
But beyond that, left-hander Framber Valdez has won has last two starts, going seven innings in both games and yielding a total of two runs. This season's biggest surprise, right-hander Troy Melton, hasn't given up an earned run in any of his last three starts. And right-hander Jackson Jobe also returned from Tommy John surgery to make his first start in 14 months. He hit 100 mph in tossing five scoreless innings against the Giants.
The offense has caught fire as well, scoring at least eight runs in six of the nine games on the road trip. The Tigers have now outscored their opponents by 87 runs, the largest margin of any AL team.
As they return home for series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox, the Tigers will look to continue their post-Skubal surge.
Tigers' playoff position
The Detroit Tigers have an overall record of 58-60, with 44 games left to play. At the start of play on Tuesday, Aug. 11, they are currently tied for second place in the AL Central division, 3½ games behind the White Sox. They are also 1½ games out of the AL's third wild-card spot.
A pair of the best offenses in baseball start a three-game set at Nationals Park on Tuesday, Aug. 11, with the Chicago Cubs booked as a sizable road favorite over the Washington Nationals in the series opener.
My top Cubs vs. Nationals predictions and MLB picks are calling for Chicago to win a high-scoring game tonight.
Who will win Cubs vs Nationals today: Cubs moneyline (-160)
There is a huge pitching disparity in this matchup, with Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga allowing two runs or fewer in each of his past seven starts for a tidy 1.77 ERA.
The Washington Nationals are countering with Jake Irvin, and he’s spun a confidence-shattering 5.37 ERA and 5.39 xERA across 13 starts.
The Chicago offense is also rolling to the tune of a second-ranked wOBA while averaging 5.8 runs per game over the past 30 days, so I’m anticipating the North Siders putting enough crooked numbers on the scoreboard to pull away from the Nats.
COVERS INTEL: Irvin has surrendered the third-highest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 50 innings this season, which positions the Cubs to both pull away for the win and lead the way to this total going Over.
Cubs vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-125)
So, with the Nationals ranking second in wOBA against lefties for the campaign and second in xwOBA across their past 24 games, I’m also expecting Washington to put runs on the board.
Cubs vs Nationals home run prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+340)
In addition to the noted shortcomings, Irvin has served up a .511 slugging percentage and .394 wOBA to opposing hitters at home, and the Chicago star has only left the yard three times during the run despite the eye-popping underlying numbers.
As a result, I like Crow-Armstrong to go deep in ideal hitting conditions tonight.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 44-19, +27.58 units
Over/Under bets: 19-16, +1.86 units
Cubs vs Nationals weather
Despite a slight chance of rain impacting play, the forecast calls for excellent hitting conditions with 85°F heat and 58.8% humidity under partially cloudy skies.
Cubs vs Nationals odds
Moneyline: Cubs -160 | Nationals +140
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (-105) | Nationals +1.5 (-115)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-130) | Under 8.5 (+110)
Cubs vs Nationals trend
The Cubs have won 34 of their last 50 games (+14.85 Units / 23% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Nationals.
How to watch Cubs vs Nationals and game info
Location
Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Date
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026
First pitch
6:45 p.m. ET
TV
Marquee, Nationals.TV
Cubs starting pitcher
Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.60 ERA)
Nationals starting pitcher
Jake Irvin (2-5, 5.37 ERA)
Cubs vs Nationals latest injuries
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Adam Fox ranked No. 13 on NHL Network’s top 20 defenseman list heading into the 2026-27 season.
In 2025, Fox ranked No. 16 on the list, as he jumped three spots in the rankings this year.
“He won the Norris one year, and then we kind of forget about him and say, well, he’s dipped, or he struggled a bit here,” former New Jersey Ken Daneyko said on the NHL Network. “But overall he’s been one of the best defensemen in the game the last six, seven years.”
The defensemen that rank ahead of Fox on this list are Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin, Miro Heiskanen, Lane Hutson, Matthew Schaefer, Jake Sanderson, Moritz Seider, Evan Bouchard, Charlie McAvoy, and Jaccob Slavin.
Despite missing 27 games during the 2025-26 season due to injury, the 28-year-old defenseman still recorded nine goals, 44 assists, and 53 points in 55 games, nearly averaging a point per game.
Fox still operates as the lone defenseman on the new Yoek Rangers’ first power-play unit, while the addition of Vladislav Gavrikov last year has given the former Norris Trophy winner a reliable defensive partner.
“We’ve been so blessed to see the young guys in the game come in and be wizards offensively like Lane Hutson, like a Matthew Schaefer, that someone that doesn’t have the flair, maybe the dynamic ability to them, that we sort of forget about them,” Thomas Hickey said on NHL Network. “And I think Fox is the forgotten player on this list.”
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: Yovanny Cruz #48 of the Washington Nationals pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, August 7, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In his first trade deadline, Paul Toboni had a pretty simple plan of attack. His goal was to add as much pitching as possible. More specifically, he went after relievers who were close to big league ready and starters in the upper minors. In total, he acquired nine pitchers at the deadline, and so far they have looked very good.
Toboni wanted to sell while not totally giving up on the season. The Luis Garcia Jr. trade looks like a perfect example of that. Trading away a bat of Garcia’s caliber obviously hurts, but given the return and the replacement, it does not seem to have hurt the team much. Abimelec Ortiz has picked up right where Garcia has left off, while Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird have made positive starts to their Nationals careers.
Cruz in particular is a guy who has already been very impactful. In the Reds series, Cruz was put into high leverage spots on multiple occasions, and came through both times. The righty throws 100 MPH, but also has two nasty secondary pitches, with his slider being particularly nasty.
This Yovanny Cruz slider is the kind of weapon banned in the Geneva Convention pic.twitter.com/I1LwjYkQ0g
That slider has the potential to be one of the best pitches in baseball. It averages over 91 MPH while having real slider movement. This pitch is not a glorified cutter, it is a slider that is thrown at exceptional velocity. Cruz will need to finetune his fastball command, but he is already one of the better arms in the bullpen, with upside to be a legit closer.
Cruz is not the only guy Toboni received to make his mark in the big league bullpen though. On Sunday, lefty Will Dion threw three scoreless innings in long relief. The Nats received Dion as part of the Foster Griffin deal and he is a very unique arm.
Honestly, he is the polar opposite of Cruz, and this is by design. Dion only throws 91-92 MPH, but his fastball is more effective than Cruz’s 100 MPH heater. The lefty throws from an extremely high slot and gets 20 inches of ride on his fastball. That makes the fastball very tough to pick up. Dion has reverse splits because his best secondary pitch is a changeup which he mostly throws to righties.
Dion may not have the upside of Cruz, but he looks like a useful bullpen piece. If he finds a better weapon for lefties, he could be a good matchup guy. Right now, he is at his best in a multi-inning role. It is not a star, but Dion should be a useful big leaguer.
The success is not just limited to the major league level though. Josh Hartle, Ben Grable and Jack Cebert were the top three pitching prospects the Nats received at the deadline. All of them have gotten off to good starts in the organization.
Grable has tossed two scoreless innings in Harrisburg so far. However, his most noteworthy achievement is that he had a 4 strikeout inning last time out. Grable struck out the first batter of the inning, but the ball got away from the catcher, allowing the runner to go to first. The righty did not let that phase him, striking out the next three batters he faced to accomplish the rare feat.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 9, 2026
Interestingly, Grable got all four of the strikeouts on his slider. Entering the system, Grable’s claim to fame was his elite fastball. It is a 96 MPH heater with over 20 inches of carry. Grable also commands the heater brilliantly. Hitters just can’t hit the pitch, which is why he throws it about 75% of the time.
However, Grable’s slider was seen by scouts as a solid but not spectacular pitch. One question I had about Grable is whether he could succeed while being so fastball heavy. If his slider can take a leap forward, that would change a lot. With his heater and a legit slider to go with it, Grable could be an elite closer.
Cruz and Grable are elite relief prospects, something the Nats clearly were looking for in the Luis Garcia Jr. trade. However, they did also get an exciting starting pitching prospect in Jack Cebert. He made his first start in the Nats system this weekend and looked very sharp.
The former 15th rounder has had a rapid rise this season. He really impressed in the Yankees system before having some blister issues and getting traded. Now the blisters are gone, and Cebert is back on the mound. On Sunday, Cebert tossed 4 scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and striking out six.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 9, 2026
As you can see in the video, Cebert has a great feel for spin. He can throw multiple breaking ball shapes, featuring a sweeper, a cutter and a curveball. That ability, combined with his solid command gives him the ability to be in an MLB rotation one day.
He also throws a 4-seamer and a sinker as well. They are not very hard, but the movement on the pitches is good. Hopefully the Nats can find a tick or two here. Overall, he is an arm that I like and is someone who can make an impact as soon as next season.
Speaking of exciting arms that may need more velocity, Josh Hartle also looked great in his organizational debut. Hartle was the biggest name the Nats received in the quantity based Foster Griffin return. The lefty only sits around 91, but is deceptive and has great command. He also gets a ton of ground balls.
Hartle went 5.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and struck out 7 without allowing a walk. The lanky lefty used his deep pitch mix and low arm slot to fool hitters. He kept them off balance all outing long. That is what he will need to do in order to have success in the MLB.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 7, 2026
If Hartle can get more in the 92-93 range, I think he can be a back of the rotation arm. Right now, he projects more as a funky lefty relief arm in my opinion. However, that is still a useful big league piece.
Paul Toboni was clearly more driven by finding useful big league contributors than hunting for upside. While I would have loved a bit more upside in the Griffin deal, the idea makes a lot of sense. The Nats already have plenty of high ceiling, low floor guys. Finding those useful big leaguers to round out the roster is very important.
So far, most of the 9 pitchers Paul Toboni received at the deadline have looked very good. As time goes by, this will be something that is interesting to monitor. There is a chance that most of these guys have big league roles, though many of them are not the flashiest players. So far the early returns on these deals are good and it seems like Paul Toboni has built quality depth on the mound.
San Diego (63-57) rallied from a two-run deficit to beat Milwaukee (74-45), 3-2 in the series opener. Jackson Merrill cranked a two-run homer in the seventh inning and Mason Miller recorded his 30th save of the season for the Padres.
Milwaukee had its two-game winning streak snapped yesterday, but is 5-2 over the last seven games. The Brewers offense is in a bit of a slide to start August. Milwaukee is hitting .222 (21st) and has 35 runs scored over 10 games (T-19th). However, the pitching continues to impress. The Brewers have a 3.13 ERA (7th), the second-best WHIP (1.02), and league-leading .192 OBA.
The Padres have won three straight games and four of the past five as the race for the NL Wild Card heats up. San Diego remains one game back of both Philadelphia and Arizona for the final two spots, but 2.5 games or more ahead of the field. In August, San Diego is top 10 in runs (46), hits (84), home runs (11), RBI (42), and stolen bases (7) through 10 games.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Brewers at Padres
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Padres
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: San Diego Padres (+126), Milwaukee Brewers (-135)
Spread: Padres +1.5 (-149), Brewers -1.5 (+123)
Total: 7.5
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Padres
Tuesday's pitching matchup (August 11): Kyle Harrison vs Walker Buehler
Fernando Tatis Jr is hitting .216 in August (8/37)
Jackson Merrill is hitting .359 in August (14/39)
Manny Machado hit .167 in August (6/36)
Jackson Chourio is hitting .343 in August (12/35)
William Contreras is hitting .152 in August (5/33)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Padres
San Diego is 65-55 ATS ranking sixth-best
Milwaukee is 62-57 ATS, ranking ninth-best
San Diego is 64-54-2 to the Under, ranking 9th-best
Milwaukee is 66-50-3 to the Under, ranking second-best
San Diego is 32-29 ATS at home
Milwaukee is 27-26 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Brewers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Padres and the Brewers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Brewers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brewers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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COVERS INTEL: Irvin has surrendered the 
